A Diverse Society, a Representative Military? The Complexity of Managing Diversity in the South African Armed Forces

After providing a brief background as to why issues of diversity managementwithin armed forces have become important internationally, this article outlines thediversity challenges facing the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).The first part of the article describes how the racial, language/ethnic and genderprofile of the SANDF has changed since 1994 and the tensions this has evoked. Thesecond part provides a brief conceptual framework against which diversitymanagement in the SANDF can be interpreted, whereafter the various diversitymanagement programmes instituted over the years to cultivate a respect for diversityare outlined. It is argued that the predominant emphasis on ‘workplace diversity’ atthe cost of ‘valuing diversity’ has meant that existing stereotypes and tensionswithin the ranks have remained, with dire consequences not only for thecohesiveness and effectiveness of the SANDF, but also for civil-military relations.